The coffee process has proven to be much more complicated that I initially realized. I began this trip believing that coffee and bananas should be an easy project when compared to damn gates or automobiles. While it is definitely more fun, the supply chains are just as complex if not more so. Taking just the…

Coppe Dota is a coffee cooperative in Costa Rica. This means they pool together coffee from about 900 farms in the central valley and roast and sell it. This comes with many pros and cons. The pros mainly include being able to compete with large companies. The individual farmers can pool together resources and help…

We had arguably the best tour host today at the pineapple plantation. While there were troubles starting the tractor, it only added to my understanding of how hard it is to run a farm. As our guide explained, growing organic pineapples is not very profitable. So when there is a problem such as a broken…

Today was our first full day in Arenal. We began with an amazing hike in the rain forest with hanging bridges and poison dart frogs. Despite the name they were very small and mostly harmless. In fact, they were quite beautiful. A key difference between the cloud forest and the rain forest are these dangerous…

Today we continued our discussion with Don Guillermo. It is truly amazing what he has accomplished in his life. From making the blueprint of a sustainable farm to talking in over a dozen countries about sustainability. Visiting the farm brought yesterdays lecture into perspective. During the lecture I was confused on alot of what he…

Today we began our proper exploration of Montaverde and its famous cloud forests. On our 3 hour hike we came across many different animals, plants, hanging bridges, and saw some of the conservation efforts in effect. It is no secret at this point that Costa Rica has very good efforts around sustainability and conservation. The…

Today we arrived at Monteverde (Gracias a Don Edgar) and its cloud forests to further our understanding of the coffee and banana industries in Costa Rica. Coming up here we saw almost nothing but forest. However it does seem like some small families/communities stay in the mountains. We also saw evidence of farming and animal…

Todays adventure was based on Café Britt. It is a VERY high end coffee roaster here in Costa Rica. They position themselves as being high end and therefore not the first choice of most ticos. Instead opting for the tourists and foreign markets. Specially aiming to sell coffee to those who can afford a higher…

Day two was the most packed yet. While tiring it was also fun to see more of Costa Rica. The entire day was enjoyable from the Doka Estate to the mall to the Spanish lessons. The Doka estate was the most interesting to me. Any company or brand with long term success has something we…

I have so far been most surprised by how nice and friendly most locals are. I was easily able to start a conversation in some broken Spanish with a cab driver about the city and his family. While the ride only lasted 2-3 minutes it was still interesting to hear Spanish outside of the classroom…